Head strong
by Shut up Sato
Summary: Sasuke and Naruto battle. They go all out, not holding any thing back. They charge together, they fight together, and they fall together. Rated for the fight SasuNaru friendship


**( I do not own naruto)**

**Head Strong**

With no one to watch his back, Naruto flung himself from the cover of the trees. He stood in a field, which held only himself and Sasuke, his once-upon-a-_happier-_time best friend. The pale boy unsheathed his sword and raised it. He moved without looking at Naruto.

"Why do you continue to fallow me?" The Uchiha asked. Naruto noticed the false annoyance with which Sasuke laced his tone. Not thinking, he growled and his voice rose in volume when he answered.

"It's because I made a promise to bring you back, whether it be in one piece or not. I promised Sakura, my village, and me… I will never break a promise; you know that. Or can you not even remember your own past, huh?" Sasuke finally turned. He kept his head down, not quite looking at the blonde boy. He softened his words with a gentle pace.

"Honestly, when did you promise yourself? Why would you want me back? Will Sakura really love you if you parade into the gates with my bloodied body on the verge of dying?" He chuckled when Naruto growled. He didn't see the shaking fists and the narrowed ocean eyes until he looked up. He continued after taking a breath. Naruto didn't notice his hesitation to keep speaking. "Plus, how could I ever forget what was a very big, orange, loud, obnoxious, unpredictable, and knuckle-headed part of my life?"

"Well, I don't worry about Sakura because she would want to beat you to that point more than I would. And I wanted an answer, not more questions, Uchiha." Sasuke's eyes flashed when he heard his family name come out of that mouth. The owner of said mouth looked confused now that pure hatred took over the emotionless look on the traitor's face. He had to turn away from such a stare.

Sasuke called his attention back when he hissed out some words. Naruto could not catch what they meant, but now he noticed the lack of a certain white and red symbol on Sasuke's clothing. Also lacking was the Sharingan in Sasuke's currently coal colored eyes.

Naruto took a deep breath. He stepped forward but stopped when Sasuke's hands clenched his sword just slightly tighter. The blonde's lips pulled back over his teeth.

"I will bring you back to me!" He shouted toward Sasuke, not looking at him. Sasuke answered with a glare. "There won't be a next time, either, because you won't get away from me. I am as sure as Hell is hot that you will come back with me. Even with both of us kicking and screaming, even if we destroy this entire forest, even if I am too weak to carry your broken ass back home, I will do it right now. Sasuke, I vow to you this!"

His ice-blue eyes melted into warm tears. They did not spill over, but his emotions, and word choice, made him confused. He tried to take control of his anger, betrayal, and hurt. He found that he could not hold it for long, but seeing as he would need all his power, he decided he didn't need that control.

Red filled his vision and he knew what would happen now. The taller of the two stepped back when the red seeped from Naruto's eyes and took shape around his would-be savior.

Sasuke let his own power flow. He glared hard at his opposite, his best friend, his _opponent_. Naruto met the glare and changed, his true form melting away, like the blue in his eyes finished doing just moments ago. Sasuke turned his Sharingan on, giving Naruto a chance to smile. The smile raised the now very thick markings on his cheeks.

They both thought, together, 'Finally.' They let equally red eyes slide closed, letting go of the contrasting glare and grin. Once eyes opened again, they charged toward one another, starting a battle that should save them, but who knows what might happen.

Limbs flew and, over-used, they became limp. With blinding speed, they crossed each other. Blocking, binding, kicking, punching, hitting, cutting, _bleeding._

Fluids spilt from the boys and, combined, turned the grass and surrounding plants and trees red, no longer the vibrant green they once held. Two bodies lay on opposite ends of that grass, not interrupted by trees. Trying to stand themselves up, and not succeeding, they crawled toward each other.

Now not caring about attacking or dodging, they met, mere inches of ground between them. Sasuke lowered his eyes to the kunai he shoved almost clear through the blonde's leg. Another knife, not getting near as close to its target as the first, landed in his left shoulder. Naruto saw his own marks on Sasuke. He made large, long, and deep gashes on the older boy's bare arms and chest.

Naruto got to his knees, sinking forward to lean slightly against the also risen boy in front of him. They used their arms to keep each other sitting… and to hold each other together. Sasuke rested his head against the only unharmed shoulder Naruto still had. Two guarded, flat black spheres and two clear, trusting blue eyes closed. Short, sunshine blonde locks and longer, moonlit black hair shook at the top of the drained bodies.

They felt dead. No more chakra, no more cards up their shredded sleeves, and no one to bring them back. However, neither wanted anyone to come bring them back. They did not need or want anyone to ruin the reunion. It surprised both that they made it this far into a battle using full strength and surviving for the few short minutes they had to revel about it.

Naruto expected his life to pass by. He wanted to remember all the things he had forgotten, to relive all the happiness he felt when with his friends. This brought something to his attention.

"Do you consider me a friend? Maybe your best friend…still?" He asked, and he carefully placed all the innocence he still carried with him into his tone. This question startled Sasuke for a moment. The person in front of him just asked him a question about their relationship after engaging into an aggressive battle that nearly killed the both of them. Sasuke wanted to laugh but he knew it would hurt too much. He sighed, which hurt, and said, "Yes. You're my very best friend."

Naruto grinned faintly. He couldn't get up the energy to smile big as he wanted, but he could tell Sasuke something.

"Thanks. I know you can't tell but I'm smiling," Naruto hugged Sasuke tightly. He tightened his grip, too. "I told you I'd bring you back, by force if needed. But…" Naruto let a breath out slowly, not quite a sigh.

Sasuke's concern for the boy flickered. Naruto, brave and bold, always speaks his mind. "What is it, Naruto?" he asked.

"I wonder if the fight I brought really needed to be brought every time I saw you. Wouldn't you have come home on your own after a while?"

"Naruto, I really don't think so. I… I would have felt as if you didn't want me back that badly and you I would want to prove to you that I didn't want you. I would have acted like you didn't exist anymore. If someone wants something so much that they are willing to fight their best friend for it, then they want it bad. Moreover, that's what _you_ do, Naruto. You want something, you fight for it. You fought for acceptance, you fought for friendship, and you fought for me. I apologize for having you do that so much. I do not regret leaving, since I think it made us both stronger, but I wouldn't do it again. We'd find a way to get to where we are now without the help of the sannin."

Naruto's smile grew steadily wider as Sasuke's speech went on. When Sasuke finished Naruto said, "Wow that was long. I do not think you have spoken to me that much in a long time. And it wasn't a lecture, either!" They both chuckled.

After a moment of silent remembrance, Sasuke sighed and asked, eyes drooping, "Getting tired?" Naruto agreed. "You can use me as a pillow. That's the right thing for a best friend to do after a good spar, right Naruto?" Sasuke smiled and leaned back to lie carefully on his back. Naruto scooted up to him and put his head against Sasuke's chest. Naruto went under first, fallowed by Sasuke just seconds later.

They did not cover their ears to the howling wind. They did not turn their heads toward the footsteps entering the field. They did not roll when lifted onto a medic's back. They did not respond to any cries of their names. They did not feel the stitches that tied up the wounds and made them complete again. Sasuke did not twitch when the Hokage tried restarting his heart. Naruto did not try to comfort his friends when their tears dried in his shirt.

They did not wake up to anything.

**(if you review and say you like it, i may get up the energy to make a sequal. sorry about any grammar mistakes, im a horrible editor. Sorry about any out of character moves... this was actualy a dream only it wasnt about sasuke and naruto but they were the only people i could see fighting and still being friends in the end) -Sato**


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